Friday, July 04, 2008

Ready for Storyboard Artists: Setups to storyboards

SCENE SETUP

Jim Smith has prepared scene setups for the first couple cartoons. For each scene we hand out setups of the basic BG and situation to the storyboard artists. (They aren't all in color and finished like this)

They are more like these Jim Smith drawings:

We also hand out my outline of the scene (and the whole story)

OUTLINE

Then what I expect from the storyboard artist is to sketch the continuity. The drawings don't have to be cleaned up, but you do need to be able to draw the characters well -understand their basic shapes and their proportions.You also need to understand the story and the personalities of the characters, so you can draw the acting. I will help by giving you some of my sketches and acting out the whole scene, either in person or over the phone.The drawings have to have life, be specific and put the point of each gag and story point across without ambiguity.Your storyboard should provide a strong framework for the pose/layout artist who will do tighter versions of the storyboard roughs and add some breakdown poses.I'm not looking for wild abstract crazy drawings. I need strong acting that is in context of the scenes and story. And of course is funny. Funny and CUTE to steal a great trademarked phrase.So if you have experience doing either storyboards or layouts and can draw both cartoony and fairly solid, and are going nuts from working on formula stuff, and are funny, then I need you.

It's a different way of doing storyboards than the studios use, looser in one way, tighter in another.

It's a lot of laughs if you have good control over your storytelling and acting. There is room for your gags too if you can make us laugh and keep the gags in context of the stories.

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Other jobs available:

Designing Setups:

This is like drawing illustrations of a story for a Golden Book. You take the essence of a scene, design the background around the character and plan it so that the board artists and layout artists can have the characters move around and act out the scenes.

Layout or Advanced Cleanup:

Someone who can interpret the storyboard drawings into finished pencil layouts that will work for animation.

You have to be careful to not lose the life of the board sketches, while adding the details and construction.I'll do another post on this soon.

And I agree with you that strong acting in the drawn storyboard is crucial to achieve the funny final result that you desire. (Of course, all the other steps that follow are crucial as well.)

But back to the written outline/script segment.

Your script/outline is very specific in its camera movements, in its camera placement, in its dialog.

At the same time, your script/outline leaves plenty for the storyboard artist to fill in with strong drawings and great acting.

But, John, you are renown for your contempt for anyone who has ever actually WRITTEN a script for a cartoon. You have stated time and again that writers should not be involved in the process of making cartoons.

And here you are, writing an outline/script for your cartoon.

Since you are rumored to loathe cartoon writers, are we to assume that when you write a script you are engaged in some form of self-loathing?

Yeah, the clients do like scripts. They don't necessarily read them, or read them correctly, but they do seem to like them. Of course, in a cartoon, the script isn't going to tell them if they have a great cartoon or not. The script might hint at greatness, but the magic and humor will come from the drawing and all the other steps post-script.

You wrote: "In most places...the script is law and it's written by non-visual people."

I get it.

For a cartoon, the script simply cannot be the law...a cartoon doesn't come to life until the characters are acting and moving.

I'm guessing, then, under the right circumstances, you're okay with cartoon scripting that's written by visual-people, cartoony people.

Hello John, I'm an experienced storyboard artist who has worked in animation for years, and learned Storyboarding in the way you describe at CalArts...

I'm used to thinking visuals first and then the words... I am in fact tired of working on formulaic stuff, and would love to get back to basic Cartooning 101... I've been following your blog since way back when you started doing all that Clampett stuff... That's actually what brought me to your blog... I didn't realize your were the Ren & Stimpy guy until later. Your layout tips over the last week have encouraged me to take a second look at the BGs in my own work.

Anyway, my website is www.scrockett.com... I have several years experience in storyboarding. And would love to add my skills to your project. Especially since you do it the way I learned at CalArts as opposed to the way I've boarded for Hasbro and Nickelodeon.

I'm also interested in the Layout, Cleanup, and Set up Design jobs... The way you do things is VERY different than how I'm used to doing things in other studios... But thats a kind of different that I'd certainly like to see!

Man,I'm laughing already!That one extra cancer stick tipped the balance and killed 'ol Mabel. When most guys lose a loved one they keep some of the persons items around as keepsakes,not our George,he keeps his better halfs better half!Great stuff,and I love the specific expressions.I cant wait to see this show.

Good luck to anyone who applies. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with.

Mr.K, if you get a chance some time, could you go into detail on your inking processes? In the more traditional end of things(non-Flash), I've been cursed in my career to have only worked in places that used a think, dead line for clean-up (mostly because it was easier) and I've never actually seen good inking animation inking done and would love to know more about it.

This is an excellent post about storyboarding. Not only have you provide an example, which is entertaining to look at in its own right, but you also provide some all important theory into how a storyboard artist should be doing whilst they tackle a scene.

I am also intrigued in how you present them. As a student, I was always intimidated by presenting your storyboard images as finalised images. Therefore, seeing a storyboard presented this way says that I can just show the rough drawings to illustrate my point, and not try to finalise the drawings at this storyboard stage.

Hey John, I have been making storyboards for cartoons for 7 years now and I feel like I have a good understanding of them. Of course I still need some work but I may animate this next year for the hell of it. Here's a cartoon I wrote that's kind of like a Bob Clampett cartoon. I love the idea of Gremlins, anywho who ever reads this, thanks..gavinscartoons.blogspot.com/

Maybe I'm just stupid, but I'm still confused as to what a Setup Designer is.

Is his job to make an "inspirational" drawing to provide the setting, mood and general atmosphere for a scene for the board and layout artists to work from? I heard that Chinese guy did stuff like that for Bambi. Or does he actually design key backgrounds or what?

I'm a quick sketch kinda guy. Been self taught for most of my stuff, but I have a background in design and have looked into animation alot. Would be great to work with you in anyway, but I imagine storyboarding being the best set. If you want to see some of my stuff you can check out my website at www.twitchsketch.ca or on my sketch blog.

you are a genius for me. i like very much your drawsren and stimpy is the gloryyou are a god s cartoonsorry my horrible inglishgo my favoritesy love this sketchfrom argentineel polaco (quien te admira mucho)

Hello John,my experience in storyboards and layouts is not long, but neither is short. I would try, and I think it would be fun and make learning and experience with you ...2 questions:Is it just an opportunity for residents in the USA? What should I do?

Hello, I have never worked in the animation field (I'm a plumber) but I wanted to give it a go anyways as I think I match the rest of your requirments so I drew a couple pages of George for you to look at, started a blog and added some other work I've done in the past that is relevant to storyboarding.My blog is at :

I am very interested in this storyboarder work you're offering.Can I send you some examples?I work freelance for Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon in the UK, have followed your work from first discovering Spumco...and of course Ren and stimpy.

I think some of the stuff I have done would match your mood and style...

On the "independent" side, my cartoon shorts have been shown at Annecy, HBO Aspen Comedy Festival, Nicktoons Animation Festival, Pictoplama in Berlin and Animation Block Party in NYC.

On the "dependent" side, I've worked as an Animator for Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, The Disney Channel and as an Animation Supervisor for MTV.

Currently I'm finishing up a series of shorts I've created for FuelTV's "Stupidface." I write 'em and storyboard 'em and directed 'em and everything 'em.

It would be a great pleasure to work with you on these shorts. Let me know if there's an e-mail address or a phone number where I can continue to apply for the position out of the view of all these prying blogger eyes.

Hello John:I've been trying to get into the industry for a while now and have just graduated from a Digital Multimedia Course.I hope I can be of some help to you!Here's an example of my rough storyboard work plus finished product!http://danielsdoodlez.blogspot.com/2007/01/dmt-bot-storyboard.htmlhttp://danielsdoodlez.blogspot.com/2007/02/dmt-complete-30-second-spot.html

So how is the storyboard artist search coming along? I would love to be a part of this project. I love storyboarding the most. I have several years of animation experience... I'm also available for designing setups and cleanup work.

My site www.scrockett.com and my email is crockettny@gmail.com. Hope to hear from you soon.

Hey John, I wrote and storyboarded an episode for George Liquor, although I realize you didn't ask for that, but I just got a couple funny thoughts and put together a story about George visiting his liberal, same-sex partnered brother, Lyndt Liquor (I figured Dick Liquor would never pass the censors). Would it be ok to post this on my blog for you to take a look at it, if my comment doesn't post, I'll assume you don't. I thought it was pretty funny, and fit the mood you are going for, but I totally understand if you aren't interested.

John, I'll scan and postit tomorrow and leave a link in this thread. Thanks for taking a look, in spite of me going at it by a different way than you asked. Your guides and lessons are really an encouragement to always go as far as I can push my talents.